When was the last time you went to the doctor for a simple check-up? Most people, it appears, tend to avoid these preventative trips to a physician and would rather wait until an ailment has started impacting their quality of life or their daily routine. What about you?
I confess that I tend to presume good health until an obvious problem has interfered with my day to day activities. And then a chance check-up revealed that I had been living with Type 2 Diabetes for years without any severe symptoms. This kind of discovery is not an uncommon one. Sadly, we can’t address problems that we are unaware of. The same logic is equally true for our businesses.
So, I’ll ask it again; when was the last time you submitted to a health assessment? This time let’s consider the health of your organization instead of your physical body. If it’s been some time since you’ve had a qualified professional examine you, consider this; you might be dealing with a serious condition that is showing no obvious signs. Even if your position relative to your competition seems positive, that doesn’t mean the condition isn’t rampant across the industry and the ailment isn’t widespread. Consider the leverage you would have if you were the only competitor free from this particular problem – or, at least, not held back by it.
Taking vitals, doing extensive blood work, combing through pre-existing conditions, and even stress-testing the patient are often needed to properly diagnose a problem and determine an appropriate course of action moving forward. The key is whether the this action is done preventatively or rather after decline has already set in. The health of our business is no different than that of our bodies.
Operational Excellence is the science of scrutinizing our current performance today in order to yield increasingly better performance in the years to come. It is an exercise in qualifying our business health, and then taking strategic steps to better that health on an ongoing basis. Make no mistake, you will need a baseline upon which to compare. We cannot claim to improve what we have not first measured. These measurements will either validate or refute our claims.
What are some common problems that might be discovered under examination? One of the most common conditions for both human bodies and organizations alike is the excess weight we carry around. For a business, this is the wastes that have accumulated over time that slow us down and interfere with our delivery of value to the customer. The heavier we become, the more difficult it is to delight, or even satisfy our customers. Waste, in its many forms, diminishes our competitive advantages, drains our financial resources, and handicaps our operations. The effect of individual wastes is so minuscule and cumulative, that you would likely not recognize it until the problem becomes chronic.
Another challenging ailment that can creep into organizations is loss of focus. Without a clear and crystalized vision, a business can gradually slip into stagnation or decline or can foster a culture of mediocrity. High performing teams thrive upon compelling visions. When goals are clear yet challenging and expectations are high, people have a tendency to rise to occasion. How healthy is your vision?
Stamina is a critical heath indicator for any group and it is highly coupled with flexibility. Stamina is the ability to keep in constant forward motion, and when necessary, sprint to reach a demanding goal. Even when letting up is seductively tempting, stamina keeps us competing for the prize and not being overtaken by the other guy. Flexibility complements our stamina by giving us the agility to change course, learn from experiences in real time, and adopt better ways of moving as we progress.
Consider the benefits you might gain by having a qualified professional do a simple health assessment on your team, department, or company. Insights gained through baselining your organizational performance will bring to light potential areas of opportunity and help lay the groundwork for a solid recovery plan, if needed. You might even avail yourself of ongoing coaching to help train for a future challenge or to maximize organizational health. Preventative measures always offer significant return-on-investment when compared to reactive measures, so don’t be afraid to let underlying issues be brought to light.
Lean in, and Lean on.